


Piandao's Journey

by slbc



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Ba Sing Se, Firebending & Firebenders, Gaoling, Gen, Great Divide, Kyoshi Island, Order of the White Lotus, Piandao goes on a field trip by himself, Pirates, Shu Jing, Worldbuilding, foggy swamp
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-08
Updated: 2020-09-08
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:13:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,603
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24614335
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/slbc/pseuds/slbc
Summary: His first sword teacher was either a crazy woman or a sane ghost.“Control your movements, and let the energy flow.”He ignores her, and turns back around to start swinging again.--Piandao wasn't always a swordsmaster. He had to become one, finding his own path to mastery.
Comments: 7
Kudos: 37





	1. Basics

**Author's Note:**

> I felt like Piandao was a character with a lot of potential that the fandom doesn't really acknowledge. So I just decided to write it.

His first teacher is the director of the orphanage.

“Don’t get killed.” is the only thing he says when Piandao tells him he’s going out.

* * *

His first sword teacher was either a crazy woman or a sane ghost.

He is swinging around a stick in a clearing inside a bamboo grove. Just a few hours ago he was beaten by the older kids in town. After complaining, the director repeated what he said last time, “Don’t get killed”, and handed him a bamboo stick.

Piandao doesn’t notice her at first. How could he with his reckless swinging and overly flashy moves.

She comes to the clearing and watches for a moment. “Control your movements, and let the energy flow.” Piandao startles and turns around.

Seeing a crazy old woman, he ignores her, and turns back around to start swinging again. But when he looks back a few minutes later, there aren’t any footprints. More curiously, lying on the ground is what looks like a Pai Sho tile, with the characters Shu Jing burnt into it.

Something itches at the back of his mind. Something to do with ancestors and unfinished duties. He doesn’t understand why he remembers this now. Shaking his head, he pockets the tile, and starts practicing, this time with a little more control, a little more deliberate movement.

* * *

The next time the older boys come around, he's beaten up again. He decides that he might try what the mad lady in the woods told him.

* * *

Two days later, he stands over the boys. The energy in him is still thrumming, flowing through his body like a fire. A few days later, they try again. After the same result, they never bully him again.

* * *

He gets better at fighting. Now that he can feel the energy flowing, it feels more like a dance. Redirecting energy from inward to outward, he can almost feel like he is bending, letting something inside him burn.

* * *

When he is 14, he leaves for the army. It has decent pay, more than he would ever make as a guard in a backwater village like this one. He lies about his age to the recruiter, claiming he’s 18. When he goes to tell the director he is leaving, the director stares at him for a moment before sweeping him up in a hug. “Don’t get killed.”

* * *

The army encampment is huge. It sprawls across the whole island with different sections for training, storage, and housing. Piandao doesn’t know this at first. That comes later. The first day is spent filling out paperwork. The second day feels much the same, but only with the stiff army uniforms on.

The third day is different. While the obstacle course is no easy task, it's only after he finishes does he see others are still struggling through. He goes back and points out tips to help better run through. Whether it's a different route or a reminder to use their arms instead of only their legs, they listen.

It isn’t until later that he notices everyone acknowledges him as the leader. He’s never really thought of it that way, when pointing out how to do something better is just what he does. Nevertheless, the role fits him.

* * *

When the army teaches them the basics of sword fighting, Piandao is bored. Their drills seem so lifeless and lacking the energy he has when he fights. Maybe it's just they’re taking it really slow. When he spars later, he ignores all their forms and falls back on his old fighting. Flowing from one stance to another, he lets the energy guide him in attack and counterattack. He disarms the instructor.

The instructor is delighted and shows him the armoury, where there is a plethora of unique weapons. Dual daos, halberds, axes, butterfly knives, fire lances, and even some weapons that don’t do so well on the battlefield, which is pretty much all flails. He lets Piandao pick out a different weapon for training each day, trusting in him to not be stupid.

* * *

When off duty, he wanders around the island. The first few times, he goes places he has been before. Barracks. Obstacle courses. Kitchens. The next time, he wanders off near the firebending training grounds and observes.

The first few times he is awed by the sheer power. There were no firebenders in his hometown. It is only after several sessions that he notices the majority of benders there are sloppy, focusing solely on power, their flames going awry. Only a few have the full precision he associates with fighting.

Soon, the novelty fades, and he moves on to other places in camp.

* * *

Faster than he expected, his training is considered complete(it isn’t). His division is shipped out to the front in the 21st division. All he knows is that they’re fighting the earth armies who are trying to invade the fire nation’s Huxin provinces. And that's enough for now.

His first big battle is a blur. He remembers being jarred by the first collision of the two armies, and fighting for his life in blow after relentless blow. It is in the lull of fighting that he is hit by a wayward stone. The last thing he remembers thinking is _This isn’t so bad_.

* * *

He walks around camp (if one can call such a big entrenchment a camp) looking for benders. His first battle has shown him how unprepared for bending he is. Most benders laugh him off. A bender named Jeong Jeong is the first one that takes him seriously.

Fighting benders isn’t as difficult as it seems. It’s just another application of energy, or as benders call it, chi. The fire from bending isn’t just ordinary fire, it’s fire enlaced with chi. Even the rocks from earthbender are laced with chi, and can be shattered. That doesn’t mean it's easy. It takes months to get his first win against Jeong Jeong. A few months after that, he realizes that the root Jeong Jeong is obsessed about actually means something. It still takes months more after that for him to be considered his equal.

* * *

He gets promoted. It’s another thing that he doesn’t intend to happen, it just does. He is responsible for more and more new recruits. It saddens him to see them go out, some not returning, but there is no better way for them to get experience.

* * *

The number of dead each battle goes down. He has to explain the basics to less people. The men stand up straighter, and look him in the eye instead of shuffling their feet. Slowly, his troop transforms from fresh recruits to qualified soldiers. And he is content to lead them.

* * *

Piandao is 22 when he realizes. There is no honor in war. The people suffering in the medic tents are suffering for nothing, but to simply push forward into earth kingdom territory. He can not lead his men into battle when he can not bring himself to fight them.

He packs what belongings he has, dresses in what green clothes he has, and takes an ostrich horse to head deeper into earth kingdom territory.


	2. Student

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Piandao sets out, and seeks to learn.

When he heads out, he doesn’t know what he's doing or where he’s going. He just needs to get away and think.

He takes a room at an inn, and sits on the bed and thinks.

If there was no purpose in battle, that didn’t mean the whole war has no purpose. He frowns, and his memories drift back to what he was taught in school. The war was meant to spread progress. If that was so, why did it start with the air nomads? Surely there should be children still around if the war really meant to spread progress.

In the end he resolves to head to Omashu to search their library’s information.

* * *

In the villages near the battle line, there is a hyperawareness of the war. Every village is filled with the silent inevitability of the Fire Nation’s advance. The bartender at the first village doesn’t even question him when he trades his Fire Nation copper and silver pieces for Earth Kingdom copper and silver pieces. Gold holds value anywhere, and he keeps some hidden for emergencies.

Every innkeeper he meets tries to surreptitiously gather information about the war from him. But even he can tell they are worried what it means for business, and what it means for them and their families.

It isn’t until he reaches the eighth village that the hyperawareness fades away to simple interest. The undercurrent of worry is about providing for the war effort, not about the war coming to their homes. He’s still approached by particularly aggressive strangers about the war.

* * *

The more he travels through the Earth Kingdom, the more he notices the small things. The mothers cooking rice for their families. The old men sitting in inns playing Pai Sho. The children playing games in the woods. 

They seem content to let progress pass them by, and live in the moment.

* * *

He reaches Omashu, he enters the library. He learns many things. How the war truly started, as a quest for power. The power of the Avatar, and why the Fire Nation suppresses any rumors of his existence.

What truly shocks him is how life was before the war. Air nomads would visit friends they had in the Fire Nation, and the Northern Water Tribe was not the isolationist nation it was today. Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation traded technology on metalwork, although the Fire Nation was especially prideful in its technology. Fire Nation used to hold dances along with the festivals it prided itself on. Why the Fire Lord chose to take away dances, but not the festivals confuses him.

Even further back in history, he encounters tales of legendary warriors, who matched with the greatest benders. Throughout all the different weapons and styles, they were all respected for their skills. They answered to no one, but had the respect of kings. When he checks the stories, he notices the last of these legends died 300 years ago. He smiles, and sets out to create a new legend.

* * *

They say the strongest earthbender is king in Omashu. When Piandao requests to meet with the king to discuss “bending techniques”, the guards don’t blink an eye. 

What he doesn’t expect is for the king to be slightly mad. Not as mad as he will be in a couple decades mind you. Though he does insist that Piandao eat nothing but fish before the match. When Piandao reaches for the rice, King Bumi snatches the bowl and glares at him and rebukes him with a sharp No.

Despite this, Piandao can tell the raw power Bumi has in his bending. The solidity of his stance, the sharpness of his moves. But when Piandao tries to kick sand into his eyes, Bumi bends the sand back in a fluid move he will not see again until a group of four kids come to his house. After Piandao loses, Bumi laughs, and gives him a pat on the head along with some rock candy, and strangely enough a white lotus tile.

* * *

For the next decade, he wanders the Earth Kingdom, learning his craft from a variety of people.

In Gaoling, he observes earthbenders who rely on brute strength, though none as strong as Bumi. Though they are stronger than army benders, their lack of finesse disappoints him.

The best block is to not be there. He learns stealth, after being caught by overzealous villagers. Not every fight is worth pursuing.

In ports, he observes street fights, and picks up a few dirty moves through them. Some save his life later.

In even less reputable ports, he fights pirates. Across his journey, they are the only ones he can say have mastered flail weapons.

On ships, he learns to fight with unstable footing, the push and pull of the waves both his friend and his enemy.

At Kyoshi Island, he admires the fans they use, and the skill of their warriors. They in turn, respect him as well. Even when they find out who he is, they chase him out politely enough. No mobs, just a simple confrontation.

In the Great Divide, he sees canyon crawlers, and decides he is never coming back.

He visits the outside of Ba Sing Se. The walls are enormous. He doesn’t feel comfortable going inside, as rumours of Dai Li abound. He leaves before anyone higher up in the Earth army recognizes him.

He visits Jeong Jeong occasionally. They talk about many things, from complaints about the army nobles to Piandao’s adventures. Jeong Jeong is surprisingly curious, asking insightful questions about the Earth Kingdom. Piandao smiles, and answers.

* * *

The end of his journey begins in the Foggy Swamp.

He has never been a big believer in friendly spirits. He does believe in spirits, but isn’t particularly spiritual. He knows they exist, and has seen things that can’t be explained otherwise, but has never seen friendly spirits nor does he have any desire to get involved.

That said, he knows the Foggy Swamp is known for being unusual, part of why no one ever goes there. However, it is the last place in the Earth Kingdom he hasn’t been.

His trip goes like any other. He meets with the locals, observes them for a time, and then leaves.

As he is leaving, the forest changes. Trees morph into bamboo groves. Humidity disappears. Foreign becomes familiar, as a clearing lies ahead.

As he enters the clearing, a distant memory turns into a current vision. 

His young self swinging a stick. “Control your movements, and let the energy flow.” she says once again.

She drops a Pai Sho tile, and winks at the older Piandao before the scene fades. Bamboo returns to trees, and the humidity is suddenly unbearable.

He takes out his own Pai Sho tile, with Shu Jing burned into it. One of the only things remaining from his childhood, and a mystery at that.

He realizes. He is tired. He has been traveling for a long time, and he feels the need to set down roots somewhere. In the Fire Nation, loyalty defines the people. In the Earth Kingdom, the land is the people, where home resides.

He takes out a map and thinks It is time. He heads back to the Fire Nation, to his home, his people.

* * *

For the first time in decades, he is back on Fire Nation soil.

It seems nothing and everything has changed. People are still wearing red, the food has proper spiciness options, and farmers are still working the fields. At the same time, he sees the same joy in simple things he saw in the Earth Kingdom, the same orphans on the streets from the war, the same worry in their eyes about life.

He takes out the White Lotus tile from Bumi, and promises himself to make a difference soon.

* * *

He arrives at Shu Jing. It is a quiet village. It has a weapons shop with average quality weapons, and a few restaurants. When he asks for any notable landmarks, the locals just mention the scenery. But when he asks the weapons shopkeeper, he gets a look, and a sense that the shopkeeper knows who he is.

“Have you tried the abandoned castle?”

* * *

The castle is a wreck. Everything is rundown, the rock garden has stone strewn everywhere, and some of the rooms are overrun with elephant rats. Still, he knows this is where he will set down roots.

* * *

He gets to work refurbishing the house. For the most part, he does everything by himself. There is a quiet simplicity in his work, the feeling of a job well done. After a decade of traveling, there is something reassuring about knowing what will happen tomorrow.

* * *

His legendary 100 man battle is much over exaggerated. He isn’t quite sure how the rumors started.

Yes, there were 100 men, but none of them wanted to be there. Yes, some were firebenders, but not very experienced ones. Frankly, he isn’t sure why the Firelord hasn’t just sent more soldiers.

It starts with a messenger which he ignores. After the messenger leaves, he reads the letter. It is a politely worded request to return to the army. He drafts a few letters in response as a writing exercise, and then promptly burns them.

A week later, an arrogant snob of a firebender marches up to his door and bangs on it. Piandao opens the gate and stares at him, unmoving.

“By the Fire Lord’s command, you are ordered back to the army.”

Piandao steps up and stares him in the eye. A typical army noble. Put there to lead because they are noble, with the smallest modicum of firebending skill. 

“I challenge you to a duel.” Piandao states.

“You think you’ll be a challenge? I accept.” the firebender sneers, flames igniting in his hand.

Piandao reacts and takes the firebender down before he has time to think.

Piandao is rushed by 5 firebenders looking to avenge their commander. He fends them off, never hesitating in the least.

The soldiers behind them hesitates, and when he turns toward them, they break off in small groups. When the first one flees, the rest follow. A few stay behind to collect their unconscious companions, but none dare face him.

He closes the gate, and writes a letter.

* * *

Later, when he hears from Jeong Jeong, Jeong Jeong cheerfully tells him he knows nothing at all about Shu Jing, certainly nothing about Piandao himself.

Piandao returns the favor and tells him all about the nothing that happened on Shu Jing.

* * *

He can’t pinpoint the exact date when the castle is fully refurbished. It begins when he realizes that he has spent the entire day doing calligraphy, with no time toward refurbishing. When he wanders around, he can’t find any unpainted walls. The furniture in each room is where it should be, the door hinges oiled, and 

For once he does not have a goal in mind, He is content to wait, to see what comes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So that was the second chapter. Third chapter will come out sooner, I have half of it written already.


	3. Teacher

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Piandao becomes a teacher

The first time a student comes to him, Piandao is shocked. He closes the gate. Him, a teacher? Thinking over it, he grins. This will be fun. He peers out, seeing as his prospect is still there.

“Go practice in the woods. I’ll meet you there.” He closes the gates and waits for the sound of footsteps to stop. “Eventually.”

* * *

He fends off 7 prospects this way. It isn’t until his 8th that he finds a more serious student. When Piandao goes into the woods 3 days later, he finds that the prospect is still training. He watches for a moment, and is tempted to do the same thing his first swords teacher did, but decides against it.

He strides into the clearing. “Let me make this clear. If you do not like what I am doing, then you may leave. I have rejected many students. And I’ll continue to reject many more. Come with me.”

He heads off to his castle, not waiting to see if he follows.

* * *

His first student’s name is Lee, the first of many that he will teach. Lee comes from a backwater village like himself, and left when he set out to make his own name. Lee is an eager student, and almost always does what Piandao instructs. Almost.

One day he hangs Lee upside down on the ceiling. “Now go through the half moon kata.”

“But I’m upside down.” Lee whines.

“Do you fight with your feet? No, you fight with your arms. You must be prepared for any circumstance. Perhaps your feet will be chained together. Will you let that stop you?” Piandao claps his hands. “Now begin.”

“I bet your teacher didn’t make you do this.” grumbles Lee.

Piandao smirks. “My first teacher was a mad lady in the woods.” He doesn’t mention how he suspects she might not have been even human. “Perhaps I should drink some cactus juice, and we should go out into the woods?” Maybe not such a bad idea now that he thinks about it, though it might be better to replace cactus juice with sake.

“No sifu.” Lee begins the set, and never asks about his master’s teacher again.

* * *

The fighting while drunk lesson is a fantastic success, though Lee may not feel the same way. Though next time, Piandao definitely needs to use less sake, and perhaps some limits on what they can do to the property.

* * *

2 months later, he feels his lessons have become stale. Lee’s katas have become a tad rigid, less flowing. He summons Lee and apologizes.

“What for? You’re a fantastic teacher!” Lee exclaims.

“You have become complacent, and I have let you become so. I learned through battles, not teachers. Each battle was different, and I had to improvise. I have taught you all the basics you need to know. From there you must build your own style. But first you must craft your own sword.”

A few days later, Lee leaves with his newly crafted sword, leaving behind nothing but memories.

* * *

It is around his 78th prospect and after his 3rd real student that his first noble prospect comes. 

He opens the gate and peers out to look at a spoiled brat dressed in the finest silks. “I order you to teach me swordsmanship.”

Piandao raises an eyebrow. “Or what? You’ll send 100 men after me?” He closes the gate.

A few days later, knocking is heard on the front gate. Again, he opens the gate and sees the brat with what is probably his father. “Do you know who I am?” he shouts indignantly.

“No.” Piandao closes the gate, and goes back to sipping tea in his office .

After a few moments of irregular pounding at the gate, Piandao sighs. He opens the gate, and puts his hand on the hilt. The man pales, and says quickly “I’m sure there are better swordsmen out there to teach you.”

* * *

After word gets out that he accepts his fourth student because he was brought a gift, the amount of nobles increase. He accepts all their gifts, but continues to take no students among them.

* * *

The White Lotus is shrouded in secrecy and suspicion, especially to those from the Fire Nation. He hides people, and passes along information. 

It never feels like it is enough, but he has no desire to leave his home again.

* * *

His fifth student is the 223rd prospect. He is unusual in that he bears an unusual gift.

“Is that food I smell?”

“Yes sir. My name is Fat, and I came because I wish to be your butler.”

Piandao mulls on this. So far he has done everything alone, but the offer of good food every day is too good to turn down.

“Being my butler requires a plethora of skills.”

* * *

Piandao makes due on his promise, and makes Fat learn to use the swords. Fat gives that meticulous frown that Piandao will become familiar with when made to do so, but learns nonetheless. He learns enough that he will be useful for training others, but in truth, Fat will never be a master. 

Besides, Fat is an excellent cook. He makes an excellent jasmine tea, and a better roasted turtleduck.

* * *

It isn’t until his 7th student that he had his first girl prospect. She is stubborn, more stubborn than the rest of his students. She excels at swordsmanship, but visibly balks at the calligraphy and painting.

When made to do so, she does so in stiff jerky movements.

When pondering this problem he comes up with the same solution he has with swordfighting. Blindfolded calligraphy.

It still takes a week for her to loosen up, to replicate the smooth motion of Piandao’s work. 

He sends her off at the end with a new sword and an appreciation of beautiful calligraphy.

* * *

He never keeps a serious student longer than at most a month. It feels wrong to be a teacher that long, and he can tell the students become restless.

He isn’t really a swordsmanship teacher. He just teaches a way of life that just happens to use swords. Those that treat him as just a swordsmanship teacher do well, but Piandao knows they will only do just fine. Those that don’t will go beyond.

* * *

The first time he meets Prince Zuko, it is when his mother Ursa brings him for tea. He is bright and full of energy. He leaves the room without his mother noticing. Piandao smiles and pretends he doesn’t notice.

After a while, Ursa seems to forget she brought Zuko into the room, until she and Piandao head outside where Zuko is climbing on the rooftop. As Ursa tries to convince him to come down, Piandao knows she will probably not succeed.

Instead, Piandao calls out to Zuko. “Would you like to see my swords?”

Zuko immediately jumps off the roof, a drop of ten feet that horrifies his mother. “Yesyesyes!” Then in a belated afterthought to his mother, “Can I?”

Piandao and Zuko spend an afternoon examining his sword, comparing his earlier works with more recent swords.

* * *

He hears that Prince Iroh has been inducted to the White Lotus. He has risen through the ranks quickly, probably due to his position of power. He can not help but feel a bit jealous. For all that the White Lotus preaches about divisions not matter, he can not help but think of the fact he is not a bender, nor royalty.

Still, he does as he is told, and helps those that need it.

When Zuko comes back with Iroh years later, he is changed. Though Zuko appears to be angry on the surface, Piandao knows he is not. Piandao has seen this before in his youngest recruits. With a sadness so deep, the only thing that can drown it out is anger. They fight with a zeal of a man with nothing to lose.

He makes a show of asking Zuko why he should accept him, as he has rejected countless students. It humbles Zuko, but barely. It is a show because Piandao knows he will accept him. He hopes time will temper Zuko.

* * *

He teaches Zuko on and off throughout the years. 

In the first lesson, Zuko complains. Piandao simply leaves.

The next time Zuko comes, Piandao can tell Iroh has made him apologize. Zuko does sound sincere, so Piandao puts his gift to the side and resumes his lessons.

At first, Zuko struggles. Piandao can tell the Jian is not a good fit for him. Remembering the old stories of Miyamoto Musashi, he lets Zuko test out dual Dao.

It fits him like a charm, with quick lashes resembling the speed of mink foxes, his defensive moves nearly as wary.

As time goes on, his moves only get faster and faster. But when Zuko stops to think, his movements grow harried and predictable, as if he thinks something should work, and it should work because it has before. Piandao has heard the rumors from the palace, and knows that these issues will resolve themselves in time.

* * *

Zuko is not given time to grow up.

Piandao hears of the fateful Agni Kai and grieves his student’s two losses. The first is the loss of his mother. The second is the loss of his father. Together it is the loss of innocence.

Piandao hopes Zuko’s uncle will be enough to guide him toward maturity.

* * *

He has news from fairly reputable sources that the Avatar is back. Piandao sips his tea and waits for events to unfold.

* * *

The instant he sees the boy, he knows he is Water Tribe. Combined with the rumours of the Avatar, he wonders where his companions are.

Throughout the day, he observes Sokka. He can tell Sokka has a keen mind, the outside perspective of Water Tribe, but a determination of firebenders. When Sokka admits to feeling like he isn’t enough, Piandao knows that his skill will not only help bring about the end of the war, but more importantly will help the world after it prosper. He holds this all in wait, knowing that he will tell him when the time is right.

At the end of the day, he gives Sokka a White Lotus tile because it feels right to do so. And with that, he sends his last student off with nothing more than a sword, and his hopes and dreams of the future.

* * *

When the call from the Grand Lotus comes out to head to Ba Sing Se, Piandao knows it will be the last battle he will fight in. It will be a battle to define a new age.

* * *

Sozin’s comet has come. The harsh red light casts a glare on every surface as the White Lotus prepares their assault. The more junior members are unnerved, but Piandao has been in too many battles to count.

When the first firebenders approach, he falls into a flow of battle. Dodge, redirect, block, and attack.

The battle ends soon enough, with groups of soldiers surrendering. The army of soldiers reduces down to a trickle, to only the most extreme loyalists fighting.

At the end, they must wait for news of Fire Lord Ozai’s conquest.

* * *

Fire Lord Ozai has been defeated. Piandao can only feel a deep relief, the end of the war that has harmed those of all nations, that has taken away something from everybody. 

It is the start of a new age. An age of hope and peace, an age of cooperation and fairness, a new age for everyone.


	4. Craftsmanship

Piandao has created countless swords, and lost countless more.

His first sword he loses is one he throws it. To be honest, he never really liked the sword. It was constantly dull, much too flexible, and prone to rust.

* * *

The first sword he creates he does out of frustration, an effort to prove he can make a better sword than the army’s standard one. 

Of course it isn’t. The smiths tell him over and over again. But of course, Piandao is too stubborn to deny it. It’s his sword that he made with his own hands. It has that special something in it. (Of course that special something doesn’t come until years later.)

He tells himself it works wonderfully. He ignores the way it is heavy, the way it drags in the air. 

After a while, he accidentally leaves it behind. The next sword he buys is from a merchant. He refuses to acknowledge the smiths were correct.

* * *

When he sets off to be a better swordsman, he doesn’t realize the sword also matters.

In a small Earth Kingdom Village, he meets a man renowned for his sword oils. Piandao admits to the old man he hasn’t really thought about the care of his blade. After learning, he is sent off to meet a stone merchant to learn about sword sharpening. Piandao is offered a white lotus tile, but simply shows him his own.

He shows the tile to the next old man. When asked about it, the merchant says that all old men know each other. To Piandao’s surprise, the merchant actually sells both sharpening stones and honing oil. He shows Piandao the basics, and sends him off next to what Piandao knows is another old man.

Surprisingly, the next person is not an old man, but the boss of mine. The mining business has been in their family for generations. He shows Piandao what the best ores are, which ones have the most iron, even some ones that merchants try to scam people with. 

The next place is where Piandao learns to properly craft a sword. Although the swordsmith guards his secret carefully, he does acknowledge some parts are common knowledge(or at least should be). He leaves with a proper sword, the first he is proud to call his own creation.

* * *

It takes him a while to create his next sword.

He is too busy to craft a sword on his travels

His castle does not come equipped with a forge. Besides, he doesn’t have the equipment.

* * *

Making a new sword is a slow process.

He spends many days building up his forge. He builds his own bellows, and orders metal to make his own bellows. He hauls up water for cooling them, and containers for various purposes.

In the end, it isn’t pretty. It serves the purpose, and Piandao begins crafting.

* * *

He makes sword after sword, trying to achieve the sharpest blade, the lightest yet still durable combination that would have served him well decades ago. He experiments with metals, oils, and fire.

He meets coin manufacturers and asks them what metals they use. He meets artists, and observes how they work metal. He goes to mines and takes a few samples with him.

He tries quenching metals with oils for different metals. He tries folding the metal on itself. He tries blows of different forces. Some metals bend much too easily, and are reduced to scrap metal. But other swords are those he would have paid fortunes for, and others do pay fortunes for them.

* * *

His swords are considered legendary. 

His reputation is undeserved. He only creates better than average swords, and only sells them to rich people. It helps that his students think so highly of him, and he is famous himself.

He’ll take the money, and work to improve.

* * *

He peers out his gate. “Go to the woods.”

The boy outside blinks and asks “What?”

“To practice of course.”

“But I’ve come to learn swordscrafting?”

Piandao blinks and thinks back on the many students he has had. None of them were concerned about creating, only seeking to win over others.

“Come in.”

* * *

He doubts that he will ever amount to more than a slightly above average forger. He simply has access to more resources than most people will ever have.

Lee (remember, there are a million of them) is a natural at it. He seems to have a third sense for how long the sword is quenched, which metals have more iron in them than others, where to strike the blade, and a good grasp on the basics.

Piandao is relatively scatterminded in comparison, leaving things to chance, and estimating things only after countless trials.

Lee needs none of this, and creates his first sword by the end of the month.

* * *

At the end of Lee’s second month, he forces Lee to pick up the sword. It shows him why swords have to be flexible, but not too flexible; light enough to swing easily yet with enough heft to match other weapons. 

Lee changes his forging style, tempered from ideal to reality.

* * *

Lee heads off to work on his own. His swords have improved, and has also taught Piandao himself. It was clear that he needed his own space to flourish.

Piandao’s next student is there for swordfighting, and Piandao can’t help but be a little disappointed.


	5. New Age

Ch 5: New Age

He knows after the battle for Ba Sing Se, that this age has come to an end. He isn’t entirely sure what defined this age, or what will define the next. But things will be different. The Avatar is back, the war has ended, and metalbending is invented. Cities will rise, new people come into play.

He knows that he will not be one of these.

* * *

Fire Lord Zuko offers him a position.

Piandao says no, despite the frown from Zuko. All grown up, the sharp edges sanded away from experience. A leader with an example of what not to do. An example branded across his face. A new leader for a new age

Zuko accepts his decision, as if he has known that Piandao will not change his mind.

* * *

He watches in pride as Zuko implements reform. He hears about the deal for a city separate from both the Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation. He attends the occasional celebration he is invited to.

Zuko has done well for himself.

* * *

He passes his days in a bit of a stupor. Three meals interspersed with a dying art, calligraphy, then sleep.

He doesn’t even bother with his swords. With metalbending, his swords become useless, even a liability. His legendary swords are now a relic of the past, just like he is.

* * *

BANG!

Piandao calls out “Can you put the gate back?”

“Sorry.” Toph yells back. “I’ll put it back.”

BANG!

A couple minutes later Toph is in Piandao’s study. “I assume you have a reason for the visit, not just to knock down my gate.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. I want you to teach me about metal.” Toph idly metalbends her bracelet, a remnant of her last time here.

“Metal?”

“You know,” as she throws up her bracelet now a dagger then back to bracelet form. “This gray thing? The things that apparently is earth and I can bend?” After a confused pause, “You make your swords with it? I swear no one else uses metal.”

“Metal?” Piandao echos blankly. “Metal.” he repeats. 

“Yeah and I figured you would know about it. Like no one really uses metal. No idea where my parents got that metal cage. Also I have like this really cool idea, where I get metal to grab people. I’m the Police Chief you know. I need to grab people.”

Huh. This could be interesting. thinks Piandao.

* * *

Toph wants something that just explodes and covers the enemy in a ball of metal. Piandao tells her no, she can not create more metal out of nowhere. He does suggest that nets exist.

After a round or two of experimentation, Toph decides it's too hard to control. Not for the greatest earthbender in the world, but the good for nothing police officers she has to train. They streamline the nets down into wires.

Before Toph can take off, Piandao reminds her that she wanted to learn about metal. He teaches her everything: what use is knowledge to him? The way he heats and treats the metal, the combinations of metal that are flexible, the way he makes wire smaller.

They end the day tinkering, one with a forge, the other with her hands.

* * *

Before she leaves, Piandao takes her to his armory and gestures to his swords.

Toph blinks twice before she catches on. “For me? But they’re yours?”

He smiles. “What use are swords, in an age where metal can be bent? Remember, flow like water and adapt, be not constrained by the past. Besides, we have your new wires, don’t you? And that’s only the start. I’ve heard harnessed lightning can do many things. All this in your future!” Continuing in a serious tone. “Promise me to always look toward the future.”

“I promise. But I’m keeping one. I’ve always wanted a sword. Also Sokka probably wants one. But you’re right. We need to look for the future.”

* * *

Piandao dies at the age of 83.

Many attend his funeral. Students, friends, customers, colleagues, and even a few people who’ve heard of his stories. No enemies, he has outlived them all.

Sokka gives his Eulogy.

“Piandao was perhaps my first true teacher. He taught not just swordsmanship, but what was behind the sword. How to lead, when to pick your fights, expressing your true self, not just thinking about others.”

Sokka takes a deep breath and continues.

“He had many things that defined him. His swordsmanship, his teaching skill, his membership in the White Lotus. But most of all, what is important is what he defined himself as. He was after all, just Piandao. He was satisfied to let himself be.”

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first of like 4 or 5 chapters.


End file.
